Using Interactive Simulation-Based On-line Learning Tools in Engineering

Education

Yakov E. Cherner, ATeL, LLC, Swampscott, MA ycherner@ATeLearning.com

Presented materials have been developed with a partial support from the National Science Foundation under the Grants No. DUE-9850326, DUE-0053286, DMI-9961270, and DMI-0110363.

What is 'Active Learning Suite' (ALSuite)?

ALSuite is a highly interactive simulation-based online learning system that uses real-life objects, processes and situations, such as those related to the home, telecommunications and sports, as the context for Science, Math, Engineering and Technology (SMET) education, as well as for corporate and military training.

ALSuite is designed as a learning tool for a wide range of students with different academic backgrounds. It is not just for those who are dedicated to science and technology.

Students are inspired and engaged in learning by the use of highly interactive, quality designed and rich-functional computer activities.

Why Active Learning Suite?

ALSuite supports most effective learning strategies including:

• conceptual learning• learning-by-doing• problem-based learning

 ALSuite motivates students towards learning science and technology and makes it more fun.

Pedagogy:

ALSuite is based on a proved pedagogical assumption that students are better at learning concepts if they have experience with concrete phenomena that are being studied and if they are aware of the potential applications and usefulness of the knowledge they are acquiring.

Pedagogy:

The recommended learning strategy first engages students and helps them to build their qualitative conceptual understanding before learning relevant details and mastering quantitative principles in the context of realistic situations and processes.

 ALSuite perfectly facilitates more traditional learning and teaching as well.

Target audience

Academic education:

• students and teachers at secondary and post-secondary schools from fifth grade to universities

• students with disabilities.

Corporate training:

• corporate technicians and engineers

• managers, sales and marketing professionals

• customer education.Military training and education

Active Learning Suite is comprised of:

Simulations, Virtual Experiments, Interactive Lessons, Problem Solving Tutor, Troubleshooting Tutor, scriptable and animated Instructor's Assistant, ancillary tools, and more…

The current version of Active Learning Suite includes the following modules:

Thermodynamics Fluid Mechanics Golf Mechanics Fiber Optics Telephony (both wireline

and wireless) Fundamentals of Wireless

Communications

The module “Plumbing system” enables a learner to explore the operation and components of a building’s plumbing system, as well as relevant scientific and technical principals and laws.

This virtual experiment is designed to introduce to students, in detail, all steps of a welding process, welding equipment, and factors which affect the quality of welded cable and signal losses. The learner is able to explore all stages of the preparation phase, select the cables for welding either from a list of standard industrial products or set up customer cable parameters. In the Fusion phase, he/she can launch an automatic Fusion Splicing or adjust the cables manually and measure the losses if the adjustment was not perfect.

(a) (d)

(b)

(c)

(e)

(f)

Three simulations on the left enable a student to explore (1) how a multipath pulse distоrtion reduces the data-transfer rate (a) by dragging and dropping a car around a parking lot; (2) properties and operation of a linear antenna (b) by rotating and expanding a space station antenna to connect to each of three satellites, and (3) to understand the impact of surface roughness on the reflecting signal (c) by moving and resizing containers. The simulations on the right foster students’ understanding of basic concepts of cellular phones including Handoff procedure (d) and Splitting (e), as well as the sequence of processes occurring during establishing a connection between two callers.

ALSuite implements technologies that provide instructional opportunities in many ways, whether at a campus/school (traditional teaching), at home (warm-ups, post-class tasks, or self-learning), in a corporate setting, or distance learning.

ALSuite can be used as:

a single open computer-based learning environment in conjunction with other online materials, hands-on activities, and printed textbooks

supplementary materials to existing curricula in the form of separate self-contained components.

ALSuite software may be run from: Web site over the Internet server via a local school or corporate network CD, or hard drive of a stand-alone computer.

It is an irreplaceable tool for distance learning.

ALSuite is compliant with SCORM and other emerging e-learning standards and compatible with major learning management systems (LMS).

Contacts:

Dr. Yakov E. ChernerATeL, LLC87 Stanley RoadSwampscott, MA 01907Phone: (781) 842-3300Fax: (781) 842-3400e-mail: YCherner@ATeLearning.comWeb site: http://ATeLearning.com